From Typhoon to Twinkling Lights: The Complete Story

It’s bittersweet to introduce my 2025 ornament—the Stanley Park Christmas Train. I've chosen to commemorate the jewel of the park’s collection: the magnificent black CPR Engine #374 replica. I’ve added some Christmas embellishments, with gold trim, a festive green garland, a wreath with holly berries at the front, Christmas parcels in the back, and steam billowing from the stack.

Stanley Park Christmas Train Ornament

$32.50

While the Stanley Park Railway has several miniature trains—including red, green and blue locomotives—this locally-built replica of Canadian Pacific Railway Engine #374 has always been the star. The real Engine #374 was famous for pulling Canada’s first transcontinental passenger train into Vancouver in the late 1880s. I love that it captures some of B.C.’s. unique railway history.

The timing of my ornament’s debut is especially poignant, as the beloved Christmas tradition it celebrates has been suspended indefinitely. My husband and I have taken our kids on the train every year since 2008 (when they were just 1 and 2 years old) with the exception of the cancelled years in 2020 and 2022. We even managed to score tickets in the frenzies of both 2023 and 2024—we rode in 2023, but just days before our scheduled 2024 ride, came the heartbreaking cancellation.

We’d listen to Christmas songs and carols as we travelled through the tunnel, surrounded by glow-in-the-dark artwork, emerging to see a dancing reindeer (or elf) on stilts. The woodland Christmas table setting was like something straight out of Narnia. All along the way we’d spot painted wooden cutouts of our favourite classic Christmas TV characters—the Grinch, the Peanuts gang from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Rudolph, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius, Bumble the Abominable Snowman, the Misfit Toys and, more recently, new favourites, like Olaf from “Frozen.” The whistle blowing as we crossed the tracks, the Christmas lights reflecting in the ponds and off the waterwheel—it was all so enchanting. And of course, the grand finale was Santa and his reindeer before the train pulled back into the station, 15 minutes later.

It all went by too fast, like my kids’ childhood. But even as older teens, they looked forward to our special Christmas tradition.

I truly hope the City of Vancouver Parks Board can find some partners to help restore this beloved tradition. In the meantime, I have designed an ornament that will preserve the memory of the Stanley Park Christmas Train—and perhaps inspire hope for its return.

The Original Child-Size Railway: Where It All Began

Before I tell you more about the Stanley Park Christmas train history, you might be surprised to know that there was an earlier, smaller train in Stanley Park. In 1947, the Vancouver Parks Board announced that a miniature railway would come to Stanley Park. The railway was the creation of Provincial Chief Engineer John Armstrong, who had built a miniature steam engine and train in his basement in Victoria.

1950s SP miniature train-with conductor.jpg

Photos above: Stanley Park miniature train, September 1958. Used with permission from the Phipps family collection, photographer Stan Phipps.

Armstrong’s creation was no small feat—when completed, he had to cut a hole in the wall of his house to get the train out onto the 7½-inch gauge tracks he’d laid in his neighbourhood. The railway quickly became such a popular attraction in his Victoria community that it outgrew its location.

When the Parks Board took possession of Armstrong’s railway, they discovered they needed to comply with all federal regulations pertaining to railway operation, including forming a “company management team.” Commissioners and staff were duly appointed to such positions, all in the spirit of getting the railway started while meeting legal requirements.

The track was laid on the site of what is now the miniature railway parking lot—a different location from the current train. The system was upgraded from 7½-inch to 9½-inch gauge to improve stability, requiring modifications to the engine and rolling stock. The train itself was a 1920s-era steam locomotive called an “Atlantic” with a 4-4-2 wheel arrangement, typically pulling five or six small red wooden boxcars. Each car could accommodate two or three children—and only children. Adults watched but didn't routinely ride, as the cars were simply too small.

This charming little railway operated for 17 years, delighting Vancouver children throughout the late 1940s and 1950s. By the late 1950s, longtime Parks Board Commissioner George Wainborn was raising funds and dreaming of upgrading to a larger railway that families could enjoy together.

From Disaster to Opportunity: The Adult-Size Railway

Then came an unexpected opportunity. In October 1962, the remnants of Typhoon Freda battered Vancouver with devastating force. Throughout Stanley Park, about 3,000 trees were toppled—including those in a six-acre virgin tract behind the children’s zoo. What could have been viewed only as a loss became the perfect location for Wainborn’s vision of a new, larger miniature train system.

Under the oversight of Parks Board Deputy Superintendent Bill Livingstone, the broken and uprooted trees in that six-acre clearing were removed and the terrain was transformed into a substantial horseshoe-shaped railway circuit. The new railway system opened in March 1964—and what an opening it was! In the first seven days of operation alone, the miniature railway carried 26,055 passengers. Tickets cost 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children!

Since then, the 20-gauge, two-kilometre train ride welcomed more than 200,000 visitors annually, making it one of Vancouver’s most enduring and popular family attractions.

Black and white historical photo (circa 1980s) of the Stanley Park Train, Engine 374, at the station. A woman and child look at the train. — *Above: The Stanley Park Train Engine 374 replica—circa 1980. Photo credit: The Courier, used with permission from the City of Vancouver Archives.*

When the original Armstrong train and all its associated equipment went up for sale, Ted Humphrey, owner of Acme Pallet Company in North Vancouver, bought it. Humphrey was an imaginative entrepreneur who dreamed of creating an amusement park. While the amusement park never materialized, Humphrey took excellent care of the little railway. In 1990, it was refurbished by Don Nelson, and the train remained beautifully preserved in the Humphrey family’s East Vancouver garage. In 2016, the family donated it to the West Coast Railway Association for permanent display at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish. Thanks to their stewardship, this piece of Vancouver history has been saved for future generations.

How the Christmas Train Was Born

In December 1964, just months after the new train’s debut, Parks Board Commissioner Grace McCarthy had an idea that would create a beloved Vancouver tradition. She arranged with BC Hydro to festively light the train route for 16 days during the holiday season. That vision of an illuminated winter wonderland around the train tracks planted the seeds for what would eventually become Bright Nights—though it would take more than three decades for that vision to fully blossom into the spectacular display we have known and loved.

McCarthy’s accomplishments extended far beyond the park. She went on to serve in the B.C. legislature for decades, eventually becoming Canada’s first female Deputy Premier. She was also responsible for negotiating the installation of lights on the Lions Gate Bridge in 1986 for Expo ‘86—lights that became known as "Gracie’s Pearls" and remain a defining feature of Vancouver’s skyline.

Bright Nights: A Tradition of Giving

Since 1997, Bright Nights has become the single largest fundraising event for the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund, made possible by hundreds of dedicated firefighters who travelled from across the province to volunteer thousands of hours. What began with about 500,000 lights grew into one of the most impressive displays of Christmas lights anywhere, eventually expanding to three million twinkling lights arranged all around the site in Stanley Park.

Bright Nights raised funds through admission donations, a 50/50 draw and train ticket sales, with the Park Board contributing more than $2.5 million to the Burn Fund between 1998 and 2024, making it not just a cherished tradition but a vital fundraiser for burn survivors and their families throughout British Columbia.

The Real CPR Engine #374: A Vancouver Icon

The miniature train that ran through Stanley Park was a replica, but the real CPR Engine #374 can still be visited today at the Engine 374 Pavilion in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood.

The real Engine #374 was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1886 at their Montreal shops—one of eight similar steam locomotives constructed that year. This 4-4-0 “American” type steam locomotive achieved immortality on May 23, 1887, when it pulled Canada’s first transcontinental passenger train into Vancouver, connecting the young city to the rest of the nation.

Unlike its sister Engine #371—which brought the first train across Canada to Port Moody and was later scrapped in 1915—Engine #374 was completely rebuilt in 1914 and continued serving until 1945. Upon its retirement, the CPR donated the engine to the City of Vancouver.

The locomotive was displayed outdoors at Kitsilano Beach Park, where it suffered greatly from exposure to the elements and lack of upkeep. In 1983, a group of railway enthusiasts launched an effort to restore it in time for Expo 86. The beautifully restored Engine #374 became a prime attraction at Expo 86, displayed on the turntable at the renovated former CPR Drake Street Roundhouse.

Following Expo, the roundhouse was converted into the Roundhouse Community Centre. The dedicated Engine 374 Pavilion opened in 1998. Today, the pavilion is open daily for public viewing and sees roughly 41,000 visitors per year. It’s staffed entirely by volunteers from the West Coast Railway Association, keeping the story of this historic locomotive alive for new generations.

Looking to the Future

As of July 2025, Park Board staff confirmed that the Stanley Park Train will remain offline for the remainder of 2025 following its closure in late 2024. The train was shut down due to safety concerns after an engineer fell ill from exhaust fumes—a stark reminder that even beloved traditions sometimes need serious upgrades to continue safely. While many people were disappointed, I can’t say I was surprised. Only one year did we make the mistake of sitting right behind the locomotive with its nauseating fumes. Every year after that, we got a seat at the back!

The City is exploring alternative operating and business models for the railway site, with preliminary analysis showing that a full renewal could require substantial capital investment.

After more than 25 years in Stanley Park, the Bright Nights fundraising event has moved to Surrey’s Cloverdale Fairgrounds as part of the Noel Holiday Light Festival, ensuring that this important fundraiser for the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund can continue while the train’s future is decided.

The City has issued a call for requests for expressions of interest and will report back to the Board in early 2026 with proposals for the train’s future. There’s hope that partnerships or alternative operating models could lead to a revitalized, reimagined attraction that still includes miniature trains and the signature CPR Engine 374.

The Stanley Park Christmas Train has been weaving through Vancouver families’ holiday memories since 1964. From Armstrong’s tiny Victoria creation in 1947, through Typhoon Freda’s destructive clearing that made the current railway possible, to Grace McCarthy’s vision of holiday lights around the tracks, and finally to the partnership with the Burn Fund that created the spectacular Bright Nights tradition—this train has always been about bringing joy, creating memories, and bringing the community together.

My ornament celebrates not just the train itself, but everything it represents: the ingenuity of those who built it, the dedication of those who maintained it, the generosity of the firefighters who transformed the site into a winter wonderland, and most of all, the countless families like mine who rode those rails year after year, creating traditions that span generations. Here’s hoping the whistle will blow again, the lights will reflect off the ponds once more, and Vancouver families will return to this magical journey through the Stanley Park forest. In the meantime, this ornament will keep the memories and magic alive in our homes and hearts.

References

The Stanley Park Christmas Train: A Vancouver Tradition Lives On